Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off-Chapter 390: A Mate Returns at Midnight

Supporting Lan Yue’s weight, Su Qinglan helped her shuffle out of the cave. They left the three cubs and the sleeping environment behind, stepping into the cool night air.

Despite the late hour, several beastmen were patrolling the paths near the leader’s cave.

A young man from the tribe saw them and immediately hurried over, his expression worried when he heard Lan Yue’s cries.

"What happened?" he asked.

"She’s giving birth!" Su Qinglan shouted at him, her voice filled with panic. "Quickly! Go find the old grandmother who helps the females. Tell her Lan Yue is headed to the shore!"

The young man’s eyes widened. He nodded frantically and dashed away into the darkness, his speed much faster than the two women.

They finally reached the edge of the shore where the waves lapped gently against the sand. The moonlight turned the water into a sheet of silver. Lan Yue leaned against a rock, breathing heavily.

"Sister, you wait here," Lan Yue said, squeezing Su Qinglan’s hand. "Once the grandmother comes, I will dive into the water. I have to find a quiet, deep place among the coral to give birth. It is the only way for the baby to be born safely."

Su Qinglan looked at the dark, vast ocean and felt a surge of worry. "But you’re in so much pain! How can you swim?"

Lan Yue gave her a weak, reassuring smile. "Don’t worry. In the water, I am much stronger. I will be fine."

A few minutes later, the old grandmother arrived, carrying a bundle of sea herbs. Without a word, she nodded to Lan Yue, and the two of them stepped into the surf.

Su Qinglan instinctively moved to follow them, her clothes getting soaked by the incoming tide. She could not just stand by while her sister went into the deep.

Even though she had only met her for such a short time, Su Qinglan had already treated her like her own family.

Because in her mind, family was always important, and she was a person who had been deprived of this in her past life. She knew just how lucky those people were who had kin around them.

So she knew how to cherish this life of hers.

Just as she was going to dive in, suddenly a pair of hands caught her arms, stopping her.

Su Qinglan turned to find a younger female from the tribe, someone she had not met before. The girl had a calm, steady gaze.

"Don’t go in, Sister," the girl said gently but firmly. "They will be fine. You are a land dweller; you cannot hold your breath long enough to reach the birthing caves. We do not know how long the birth will take. If you follow them, you will only put yourself in danger."

Su Qinglan looked back at the ripples where Lan Yue and the grandmother had disappeared. The surface of the water was now calm, hiding the life and death struggle happening beneath.

She stood on the shore, her heart heavy with prayer, watching the moonlight dance on the waves.

More than two hours had passed. Su Qinglan sat on the damp sand of the seashore, her eyes fixed on the dark, rhythmic waves. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

There was still no sign of Lan Yue, the grandmother, or the young female who had stopped her from diving in.

She knew the female was right. As a land dweller, she could not hold her breath long enough to reach the deep birthing caves.

But the silence of the ocean was becoming unbearable.

Every second felt like an hour. She had run back once to check on the cubs; they were still sleeping soundly, unaware of the drama unfolding. Now, back at the shore, her anxiety was reaching a breaking point.

Why haven’t they come back yet? she thought, her fingers digging into the sand.

Suddenly, a loud commotion broke the silence behind her.

Su Qinglan stood up and turned to see a very tall man sprinting toward the water. He carried a frightening, intense expression on his face.

His eyes met hers for a fleeting second, but he did not say a word.

Without hesitating, he leapt into the air, his body shifting mid flight into a massive, powerful shark, and vanished into the surf with a heavy splash.

Right behind him was the tribe leader, Uncle Tang.

Uncle Tang stopped for a moment when he reached Su Qinglan. He saw her pale face and trembling hands. He reached out and patted her shoulder gently.

"Don’t worry, child. Lan Yue will be fine," he said, his voice deep and steady. He looked toward the spot where the shark had dived. "My son has returned. He will definitely take care of his mate."

Su Qinglan’s eyes widened in surprise. His son? That frighteningly strong man was Lan Yue’s husband? So he had returned. It was good that finally someone could take care of her.

And no wonder the man had looked so desperate; he had arrived just in time for the critical stage of his mate. After all, she needed support from someone of her own family.

Uncle Tang looked at Su Qinglan’s half soaked clothes and noticed how she was shivering in the night air. The ocean breeze was turning chilly.

"You shouldn’t wait here anymore," Uncle Tang said firmly.

"The night is cold, and you will get sick. Go back to the cave and change into dry clothes. As soon as there is news, we will tell you."

Su Qinglan wanted to decline. She wanted to stay until she saw Lan Yue’s head pop above the water. But Uncle Tang would not hear of it. He motioned to a younger man standing nearby. It was Manis.

"Manis, take her back to her cave," Uncle Tang ordered.

Manis stepped forward, looking at Su Qinglan with a determined expression. Realizing she was only getting in the way and that her cubs needed her, Su Qinglan finally nodded. She followed Manis back up the rocky path toward her cave.

Once inside, she immediately went to the dying fire. The fire was almost dead, just a few glowing coals left. She quickly piled on more wood, blowing on the embers until the flames roared back to life. She sat down close to the heat, trying to stop the shivering that had settled deep in her bones.

As the warmth returned to her body, her mind began to wander. She looked out at the small patch of sky visible from the cave entrance.

Everything felt so chaotic. Being trapped in this tribe, the labor, and being far away from home, it was not easy for her. Neither was it easy for Lan Yue, who had been away from her loved ones for such a long time.

I just want to go home, she whispered to herself.

She missed her own beast husbands fiercely. She missed the safety of her home and the peace of her old life.

Then she thought of Lan Yue. She realized how incredibly strong Lan Yue had been, willing to face everything and give birth in the cold depths of the sea, even when she thought she might be doing it by herself.

Su Qinglan leaned her head against her knees, watching the firelight dance on the walls, praying that by morning she would get good news.